Antifriction-bearing



(No Model.) I A. H. MGMASTER.

ANTIPRIOTION BEARING.

No. 553,656; Patented Jan. 28,.1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. MCMASTER, OF FOIVLER, COLORADO.

ANTlFRlCTlON-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,656, dated January28, 1896.

Application filed August 2, 1895. $erial No. 557,944. (No model.)

To all whom it ntcty concern: V

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. MOMASTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fowler, in the county of Otero and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Antifriction-Bearings,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in bearings where it is designedto have as little friction as possible, and my object is to provide sucha bearing and as simply and as economically as possible.

My invention consists broadly of the employment of a number of segmentbearingpieces, which are placed loosely in the journal-box and supportthe shaft which at this point is provided with a number of spiral ribs,so that as the shaft is revolved each rib successively engages thesegments, which as they are engaged yield or move out of their normalposition in the box and after contact with the rib fall or move back tonormal position.

My invention further consists of details of construction that will behereinafter described and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed todescribe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a horizontal section taken on the line I I, Fig. 2. Fig. 2is a vertical section taken on the line II II, Fig. 1, the shaft beingshown in full lines.

In the said drawings, 1 represents the j ournal box or casing, which maybe of a suitable construction and located at any point where desired. I

2 represents a shaft having a bearing in the journal-box. This bearingis composed of the spiral ribs 3, which are located on the shaft in thejournal-box, and the bearingsegments 4, which are placed loosely in thebox or casing. These segments, as will be seen, are formed with the base5 and the curved face 6, and they are arranged, as shown, so that theribs on the shaft will bear on them at the upper part of the curvedface. The spiral ribs, which are preferably of the same number as thebearing-segments and of the same width, are arranged on the shaft sothat as the end of the rib breaks the contact with the last segment thefirst part of the succeeding rib will bear upon the first segment. Thusit will be seen that at each point of the revolution of the shaft itwill only have one bearing-point within the box and that will beconstantly changing, so that the friction will be reduced to a minimum.It will be understood, of course, that as the ribs successively come incontact with the segments they yield or move on a pivot-point 7 to aposition shown in dotted lines and after the contact they return totheir normal position. I

The operation of my device will be readily understood from the drawingsand the foregoing description.

Although I have shown my'device only applied to a shaft and a singlejournal-box, it will be understood that it can be used wherever anantifriction-bearing is desired. It will be further understood that I donot limit myself to the precise construction shown, as

the same result may be accomplished without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an anti-friction bearing the combination of the journal box, thesegments loosely placed therein, and the spiral ribs located on theshaft and adapted to bear upon the segments substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The combination in an anti-friction bearing, the journal box, thesegments loosely placed therein and arranged to return to normalposition after being moved, and a spiral rib located on the shaft andadapted to suc-

